Nurse practitioner practice in Aotearoa New Zealand: national Nurse Practitioner Workforce Survey 2025.

AIM: The aim of this study was to describe nurse practitioner (NP) demographics, practice settings and practising conditions, and to establish the Nurse Practitioner Workforce Survey (NPWORKS) as a repeatable national dataset for longitudinal monitoring. METHODS: NPWORKS is a biennial, cross-sectional, self-reported survey administered electronically (January-March 2025). Eligible participants were Te Kaunihera Tapuhi o Aotearoa | Nursing Council of New Zealand-registered NPs with a current annual practising certificate. Descriptive statistics were used. RESULTS: From 897 registered NPs at the time of the survey, 545 eligible responses were analysed, representing 61% of the registered NP workforce; 381 respondents (70%) completed ≥95% of the survey. Almost all respondents reported patient- and whānau-facing roles (537/545, 99%). Among solely clinically practising respondents, the most common practice areas were primary healthcare (203/441, 46%) and emergency and trauma (79/441, 18%). Māori respondents reported clear understanding that the NP role contributes to reducing inequities (28/38, 74%), although fewer reported complete support to meet Healthy Futures (Pae Ora) Act 2022 obligations (13/38, 34%). Most respondents practising clinically only reported workplace support to practise safely (372/441, 84%), while fewer reported practising to full scope (322/441, 73%). Self-reported high to severe burnout was more common in rural than urban NPs (25/92, 27% vs 47/346, 14%) and among those planning retirement within 5 years (23/80, 29%). CONCLUSION: NPWORKS 2025 establishes a national baseline and includes equity enablement measures. It identifies uneven full-scope enablement and sustainability risks, supporting longitudinal monitoring and outcomes-focussed evaluation.